Method and apparatus for emptying large packages

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for emptying large packages containing powdery material wherein the package with its lid removed to expose its contents is placed into a container on a platform of an elevator located in the container after which the elevator is raised to communicate the open top of the package with a funneltype attachment resting on the top of the container for receiving the powdery material and discharging the same from an outlet in the attachment. Compressed air is introduced into the funnel attachment to fluidize the powdery material to facilitate discharge which occurs upon pivoting the container about a horizontal axis to initiate flow of the powdery material from the container into the funnel-type attachment and then outwardly thereof with the aid of the compressed air.

United States Patent Klebe et al.

[45] Jan. 16,1973

[ METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR Schworstadt, all of Germany [73] Assignee: Deutsche Gold-Und Silber-Sclleideanstalt Vormals Roessler, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 22 Filed: July 27,1971

[21] Appl.No.: 166,443

[51] Int. Cl. ..B67b 7/00 [58] Field of Search.....222/l, 95, 105, 166, 193, 389

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l l/l965 Thomson ..222/l66 3/1966 Stegner 8/1966 ONeal et al ..222/193 X 3,294,289 l2/l966 Baync et al ..222/95 3,386,629 6/1968 Currie .222/ l 93 3,499,577 3/1970 Nilsson ..222/l05 X 3,570,716 3/l97l K irsanoff et al. ..222/193 X Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr. Att0rneyBeveridge & De Grandi [57] ABSTRACT Method and apparatus for emptying large packages containing powdery material wherein the package with its lid removed to expose its contents is placed into a container on a platform of an elevator located in the container after which the elevator is raised to communicate the open top of the package with a funnel-type attachment resting on the top of the container for receiving the powdery material and discharging the same from an outlet in the attachment. Compressed air is introduced into the funnel attachment to fluidize the powdery material to facilitate discharge which occurs upon pivoting the container about a horizontal axis to initiate flow of the powdery material from the container into the funnel-type attachment and then outwardly thereof with the aid of the compressed air.

22 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures pld PATENIEDJAM 16 I973 F IGI INVENTORS HANS KLEBE LUDWIG LANGE GUNTHER MANG ATTORNEYS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING LARGE PACKAGES SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for emptying relatively large packages, containing powdery substances, particularly highly dispersed solid substances. Although the present invention is disclosed in conjunction with packages having one discharge opening, the invention may be applied in discharging the contents of different packages.

For the transportation of powder goods, fairly large packing units are being used in industry to an increasing extent. These units must be sufficiently solid, structurally, in order to withstand the stress of transportation, and at the same time it is preferred that these units be constructed with a minimum of material expenditure. A new type of package for highly dispersed substances has one opening and a capacity of I 3 m contents. Such a large package when used with a pallet can also be made of softer material, such as for example, cardboard. In most cases the packages'are equipped with an inside liner bag made of paper or plastic foil or other suitable material.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for emptying or otherwise discharging the contents from packages filled with powders or similar material, especially highly dispersed solid substances, such as for example, pyrogenic silicic acid.

The foregoing object is achieved through apparatus including a tiltable container for receiving the package, a headpiece funnel attachment on the container converging in the manner of a funnel upwards towards an outlet opening therein, a large opening in the container for laterally inserting the package. therein, a door for closing the latter opening, and an elevator or other lift apparatus including a support plate on which the package is disposed for raising the package while in the container. A continuous peripheral sealing strip projects inwardly from the walls of the container internally thereof preferably at the transition between the container and the headpiece to serve as a stop for the upper edge of the package and also to seal the contents of the package from the space between the walls of the package and the walls of the container during discharge. The headpiece attachment includes a double wall defining a hollow space provided with a supply opening for introducing therein compressed air for fluidizing the material being discharged to facilitate the discharge. One of the double walls is permeable to permit the compressed air to be introduced into the main compartment or chamber of the headpiece attachment to fluidize the package contents as described.

Preferably, the container is pivotally mounted about a,

horizontal axis in labile equilibrium. For discharge, the container is pivoted about said axis causing the material to be deposited from the package into the headpiece.

In one embodiment of the invention, the lift or elevator apparatus in the container includes an inflatable hose disposed below a vertically movable support plate on which the package rests while in the container. However, a mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic lifting apparatus also may be used. v g

In order to perfect the seal between the package and the funnel headpiece attachment, the surface of the sealing strip can be covered with an elastic material, for example, foam rubber. The sealing strip can be attached either on the inside wall of the container or about the edge of the headpiece attachment. While in one embodiment of the invention, the sealing strip is attached to and runs along the inside periphery of the walls of the container, in the preferred embodiment, the sealing strip is incorporated in the edge of the headpiece attachment surrounding the open end of the headpiece attachment which communicates with the interior of the package when the package is elevated.

The permeable double wall portion of the headpiece attachment permits compressed air to be introduced therein to fluidize the package contents as it passes through the attachment and through the outlet opening in the attachment. The inner wall of the double wall is preferably manufactured from a porous raw material, for example, sintered metal, sintered ceramic or sintered plastic. Porous polyethylene has also proven to be particularly suitable for this purpose.

The apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to one specific type of package but may be employed to empty various types of packages by adapting the shape of the container, funnel attachment, support plate and sealing strip to the particular shape and construction of the package.

The height of thecontainer depends on the height of the package to be emptied. To be effective, the distance between the package support plate in the container and the sealing strip, when the lift apparatus is retracted, should be larger than the height of the package by approximately one-half the maximum lift distance.

For packaging the larger units of highly dispersed pyrogenic silicic acid, a large carton with a polyethylene liner bag in the shape of a box with a contents of approximately 2 m is presently employed commercially. Accordingly, one specific embodiment of the present invention relates to the use of a box-shaped container for the reception and emptying of this large size package. This container has an opening for introducing the package in .the container. This opening is closed by means of a door hinged in one of the lateral surfaces of the container and occupying most of it. In order to lift the support plate for the package without canting, a guide means such as guide rails are fixed in the comers of the container to receive the lower corners of the package.

DRAWINGS The structure and function of the invention will be further described below in detail in conjunction with DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown in FIG. 3 a package which may be emptied in accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention; the package including a generally box-like body 20 having opposite parallel side walls 200 and end walls 20b upstanding from a bottom wall 20c supported on legs 21 extending transversely below bottom wall 20c. The lid of the package is not shown in FIG. 3, the lid being removed prior to emptying the package in accordance with the present invention. The contents of the package are received in a liner shown as a bag 22 in FIG. 3.

- Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, apparatus embodying the present invention and shown as including a boxshaped container 1 corresponding in shape but being larger than the package 20 to be emptied; the container including opposite parallel side walls 1 and end walls 1a upstanding from a base and an apertured top wall 1d for receiving a funnel-type attachment 3 to be described below. One of the side walls of the container is constituted by a rectangular door or closure 2 movably mounted such as by hinges 2a to one of the side walls 1a of the container. in order to insert package into. the container, door 2 is moved to open position shown in FIG. 1 whereupon the package 20 may be inserted therein and the door moved to closed position as shown in FIG. 2. Although not shown, it is preferred that the inside of door 2 have fixed thereto a transversely extending beam or cross-rail for restoring deformed containers into their original rectangular shape by applying even pressure on one edge of the package during closing of door 2.

w The funnel headpiece attachment 3 is suitably secured on top wall 1d of the container, it being understood that the attachment 3 has a double wall construction in the area 4 shown in FIG. 1. The inside wall 5 'of the double wall consists of a sheet of porous polyethylene. The peak of the funnel attachment 3 has, a valved outlet connection 6 for discharging the package contents while an inlet conduit 7 is provided in the outer Wall 5' of the double wall for introducing compressed air into the space between the double walls position in the lower four corners of container 1. Rails 10 serve to promptly guide the package 20 during elevation .thereof to avoid cantings or other irregular disposition of the package and thereby maintain the I package in the proper alignment with the funnel for tilted without effort after the package 20 filled with powderhas been inserted therein.

Lifting of the package 20 while in the container serves to bring the upper open edge of the package into sealing engagement with a sealing strip designated 11 which extends rectangularly around the lower edge of the funnel attachment about the opening therein. Sealing strip 11, may be made from any suitable material, one such being foam rubber. Sealing strip 1 1 may be attached either to the lower edge of the funnel attachment 3 or to the inside walls of container 1.

In use in emptying a package 20 for example, a carton with an opening in the upper end and containing a polyethylene inner bag 22 with a capacity of 2 m filled with a-pyrogenic silicic acid; the first step is to remove the lid (not shown) from the package after which liner bag- 22 is opened and turned as far as possible over the side walls 20a and 20b of the package 20 thus fully opening the inside of the liner bag and exposing the contents thereof for discharge. The package 20 is then placed into the container 1 by opening the door 2 inserting package 20 horizontally into the container and on support plate 8 resting in the bottom of thecontainer. Door 2 is then closed whereupon hose 9 is inflated to raise the package 20 until the upper edge 5 and 5 and through the permeable wall 5 into the main compartment of the funnel attachment 3 for fluidizing the powdery package contents to facilitate discharge from outlet 6. Any suitable or conventional valve may be incorporated in the outlet 6 of the funnel attachment.

In the bottom 'of container 1 is an elevator or lift apparatus including a vertically movable support plate 8 which may be formed from steel, aluminum or other sufficiently rigid .and strong ma'teriaLSupport plate 8 receives the bottom of the package 20 when the latter is inserted into the container. Below support plate 8 the container is equipped with a-lift mechanism or jack which in the shown embodiment, includes an inflatable hose 9 which may be supplied and exhausted with a suitable fluid through a conduit 90 from a' source of fluid (not shown). Upon inflation of hose 9, it will be apparent that support plate 8 will rise vertically in the container to move package 20 upwardly towards the funnel attachment 3 to seal the upper edge of the package in communication with the funnel attachment as will be described below. Support plate 8 when the hose is being inflated, is guided by vertical guide rails 10 which may be approximately 40 cm in vertical height; there being 4 such rails 10 attached in vertical thereof engages sealing strip 1 1. At this point the interior of liner 22 is in communication with the main chamber of funnel headpiece 3. Container 1 is then pivoted about the horizontal axis through pivots 26 causing the powder contents of the package to move by gravity into the main chamber of the funnel headpiece 3 to be subsequently discharged through outlet 6 under the further influence of compressed air introduced into the funnel attachment through conduit 7 and permeable wall 5.

After the package has been emptied in the aforedescribedmanner, the container is pivoted back to vertical position, the hose 9 deflated to lower support plate 8 whereupon door 2 may beopened andthe package removed.

What is claimed is: l. A method of emptying a package having a bottom wall and side walls defining a space with a powdery substance in said space with the upper end of the package being open; the steps comprising: raising the package funnel member, applying a compressed gas into the ,funnel member for fluidizing the package contents while therein and .discharging the fluidized package contents from the funnel member.

2. The method defined in claim 1 applied to a container having substantially rigid side walls and including a inner liner bag and wherein the liner bag is opened and turned over the upper edges of said package prior to raising the package into registry with the funnel.

3. Apparatus for discharging the contents of a package having an opening in one end thereof and containing a powdery material, the apparatus including a container having a bottom wall and side walls upstanding therefrom to define a space for receiving the package with the opening of the package facing upwardly, a funnel member mounted on top of said container and having a main chamber communicating with the interior of said container space for receiving the material from the package, said funnel member having an outlet for discharging the material, and means for introducing a compressed gas into said funnel member for fluidizing the material to facilitate discharge from the funnel member.

4. Apparatus defined in claim 3 further including lift means situated in the bottom portion of said container for receiving the package and for raising the package to place the package opening in communication with the interior of said funnel member.

5. Apparatus defined in claim 4 further including sealing means surrounding an opening in the funnel for receiving the edge of the package for sealing the interior of the package from the space between the package and the walls of said container.

6. Apparatus defined in claim 5 further including means pivotally mounting said container for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis for discharging the contents of the package from the package into said funnel member.

7. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said axis is situated below the center of gravity of the apparatus to facilitate pivotal movement of said container about said axis.

8. Apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said sealing means includes a sealing strip attached along the internal periphery of the walls of said container.

9. Apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said sealing means includes a sealing strip attached to an edge of said funnel member extending about the chamber of said funnel member.

10. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein one of said side walls of said container is a movable door movable between an open position for receiving a package to be inserted laterally in said container, and a closed position for maintaining the package in the container.

1]. Apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said funnel member includes an internal permeable wall defining a subcompartment for receiving compressed gas for fluidizing the contents of the package to be discharged, said permeable wall permitting passage of the compressed gas into the main chamber of said funnel member, said means for supplying said compressed gas including an inlet conduit communicating with said subcompartment.

12. Apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said permeable wall is made from one of a sintered metal, sintered ceramic, and sintered plastic.

13. Apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said permeable wall is a porous polyethylene sheet.

14. Apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said lift means includes a support member located in the bottom of said container and movable vertically therein,

said support member adapted to receive the package, and means below said support wall in the container for lifting and lowering said support wall.

15. Apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein said last recited means includes an inflatable hose.

16. Apparatus defined in claim 14 including guide means located on said support plate for receiving and guiding the package and maintaining the package in proper form.

17. Apparatus defined in claim 10 further including a rigid cross member extending transversely across a bottom portion of said door on the internal side thereof for engaging a deformed package and restoring it into its proper original form.

18. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said container has a generally box shape including opposite parallel side walls and end walls adapted for receiving and discharging the contents of a box-like package.

19. Apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said sealing strip is made from elastic material.

20. Apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein said sealing strip is made from foam rubber.

21. Apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein the distance between said support plate and the lower edge of the funnel member when said lift means is in its lower-most position is larger than the height of the package to be discharged by approximately one-half the maximum lift distance of said lift means.

22. Apparatus'defined in claim 6 wherein said funnel member includes an internal permeable wall defining a subcompartment for receiving compressed gas for fluidizing the contents of the package to be discharged, said permeable wall permitting passage of the compressed gas into the main chamber of said funnel member, said means for supplying said compressed gas including an inlet conduit communicating with said subcompartment. 

1. A method of emptying a package having a bottom wall and side walls defining a space with a powdery substance in said space with the upper end of the package being open; the steps comprising: raising the package vertically into engagement with a funnel-type member with the contents of the package in registry with the interior of the funnel member, pivoting the package with the funnel member thereon about a horizontal axis to cause the package contents to be deposited into said funnel member, applying a compressed gas into the funnel member for fluidizing the package contents while therein and discharging the fluidized package contents from the funnel member.
 2. The method defined in claim 1 applied to a container having substantially rigid side walls and including a inner liner bag and wherein the liner bag is opened and turned over the upper edges of said package prior to raising the package into registry with the funnel.
 3. Apparatus for discharging the contents of a package having an opening in one end thereof and containing a powdery material, the apparatus including a container having a bottom wall and side walls upstanding therefrom to define a space for receiving the package with the opening of the package facing upwardly, a funnel member mounted on top of said container and having a main chamber communicating with the interior of said container space for receiving the material from the package, said funnel member having an outlet for discharging the material, and means for introducing a compressed gas into said funnel member for fluidizing the material to facilitate discharge from the funnel member.
 4. Apparatus defined in claim 3 further including lift means situated in the bottom portion of said container for receiving the package and for raising the package to plaCe the package opening in communication with the interior of said funnel member.
 5. Apparatus defined in claim 4 further including sealing means surrounding an opening in the funnel for receiving the edge of the package for sealing the interior of the package from the space between the package and the walls of said container.
 6. Apparatus defined in claim 5 further including means pivotally mounting said container for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis for discharging the contents of the package from the package into said funnel member.
 7. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said axis is situated below the center of gravity of the apparatus to facilitate pivotal movement of said container about said axis.
 8. Apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said sealing means includes a sealing strip attached along the internal periphery of the walls of said container.
 9. Apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said sealing means includes a sealing strip attached to an edge of said funnel member extending about the chamber of said funnel member.
 10. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein one of said side walls of said container is a movable door movable between an open position for receiving a package to be inserted laterally in said container, and a closed position for maintaining the package in the container.
 11. Apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said funnel member includes an internal permeable wall defining a subcompartment for receiving compressed gas for fluidizing the contents of the package to be discharged, said permeable wall permitting passage of the compressed gas into the main chamber of said funnel member, said means for supplying said compressed gas including an inlet conduit communicating with said subcompartment.
 12. Apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said permeable wall is made from one of a sintered metal, sintered ceramic, and sintered plastic.
 13. Apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said permeable wall is a porous polyethylene sheet.
 14. Apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said lift means includes a support member located in the bottom of said container and movable vertically therein, said support member adapted to receive the package, and means below said support wall in the container for lifting and lowering said support wall.
 15. Apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein said last recited means includes an inflatable hose.
 16. Apparatus defined in claim 14 including guide means located on said support plate for receiving and guiding the package and maintaining the package in proper form.
 17. Apparatus defined in claim 10 further including a rigid cross member extending transversely across a bottom portion of said door on the internal side thereof for engaging a deformed package and restoring it into its proper original form.
 18. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said container has a generally box shape including opposite parallel side walls and end walls adapted for receiving and discharging the contents of a box-like package.
 19. Apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said sealing strip is made from elastic material.
 20. Apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein said sealing strip is made from foam rubber.
 21. Apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein the distance between said support plate and the lower edge of the funnel member when said lift means is in its lower-most position is larger than the height of the package to be discharged by approximately one-half the maximum lift distance of said lift means.
 22. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said funnel member includes an internal permeable wall defining a subcompartment for receiving compressed gas for fluidizing the contents of the package to be discharged, said permeable wall permitting passage of the compressed gas into the main chamber of said funnel member, said means for supplying said compressed gas including an inlet conduit communicating with said subcompartment. 